POS1399-HPR ONLINE SCHOOL AS A METHOD OF INCREASING THE MEDICAL LITERACY OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES
Authors: A. Nurmamedov, N. Shuvalova, S. Lezhenina, E. Guryanova
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Today, most of the population of Kazakhstan have access to the Internet. Due to this fact, the use of online schools for patients with rheumatic diseases seems to be a promising direction [1,2]. <h3>Objectives</h3> The purpose of the study is to analyze whether online rheumatology schools can be used as one of the methods to improve the medical literacy of patients. <h3>Methods</h3> A survey was conducted with 90 patients IN the city of Astana attending an online school on RH from September 2021 to September 2022 after graduation. The online questionnaire included 20 questions (part A and part B). The questions in Part A concerned the age of patients, gender, bad habits, heredity, sources of information about the school, and the desire to study at an online school. In part B, the questions concerned the novelty and quality of the information received. Patients had to choose one/several of the presented answer options. In some questions, a differentiated assessment was used on a 5-point scale, where 0 points is the minimum, and 5 is the maximum positive assessment. The lecture course consisted of 36 lectures and 6 practical exercises on rheumatic diseases. The questionnaire data were processed in Statistical Analysis Software15.0. Statistical significance was handled using Analysis of variance. <h3>Results</h3> Part A. The number of patients under the age of 30 was 9 (10%) respondents, 31-40 years old - 41 (45.6%) respondents, 41-50 years old - 12 (13.3%) respondents, 51-60 years old - 17 (18.9%) respondents, over 60 years old - 11 (12.2%) respondents. 75 (83.3%) patients were women. 26 (28.8%) patients had bad habits. 17 patients (18.8%) knew about rheumatic diseases FROM relatives. Most of the participants received information about the online school from the clinic staff - 42 (46.7%) or FROM the clinic website - 27 (30.0%), from other sources - 21 (23.3%) respondents. 72 (80%) respondents noted their desire to attend such classes in the future. These data indicates on the interest of respondents of different age groups in improving the level of medical literacy in rheumatic diseases. Part B. 77 (85.5%) and 82 (91.1%) respondents learned about new risk factors for RD (the role of infection and stress), respectively. 39 (43.3%) patients understood the need to correct their lifestyle. A total of 26 (28.8%) respondents realized that they could independently control treatment. 92% of respondents rated the quality of the information received by the maximum score. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The online school can be used as one of the methods to improve the medical literacy of patients with rheumatic diseases. <h3>References</h3> [1]Al-Khaled T, Cole ED, Chan RVP. Teleme- dicine, Telementoring, and Technology: Im- proving Patient Outcomes and Access to Care in Low and Middle-Income Countries. Ophthalmology. 2021 Jan;128(1):138-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.10.014 [2]Baker J, Stanley A. Telemedicine Techno- logy: a Review of Services, Equipment, and Other Aspects. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2018 Sep 26;18(11):60. doi: 10.1007/s11882-018- 0814-6 <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.